Process for extracting acetylene of high value from gases poor in acetylene



Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OTTO NICODEMUS, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINPHOOHST, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO I. G. EABBENINDUSTRIE AKTIENGESELLSOHAFT, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF GERMANY rnoonss FOB nxrmo'rme acnmnnn or HIGH VALUE raou .aon'rmnn GASES POOR IN 1T0 Drawing. Application filed December 19, 1928, Serial No. 327,175, and in Germany December 27, 1927.

ably between about 0 G. and 20 C. in

order to avoid any loss of acetonitrile. The boiling out of the acetonitrile charged with the acetylene gas may also be operated by an of the known methods.

gince acetonitrile is a substance which can be roduced at a low price and possesses in a high de ee'the power of dissolving acetylene and is also indifierent toward the action ofmetals or catal sts, it is highly suitable for the purpose 0% extracting in an economic way from gases which are poor in acetylene gases containing a high percentage of acetylene which may for instance be directly utilized in any of the methane and which can be used directly for known technically valuable contact processes.

For instance a gas containin 51.6 per cent of methane, 38.8 per cent 0 hydrogen and 7.1 per cent of acetylene, if it is washed in a trickling tower according to the counter-current principle with acetonitrile which has been cooled to --10 0., yields a waste gas of the following composition: 1.5 per cent of C l-I 40.7 per cent of H and 55.5 per cent of (5H,,; hence 80 per cent of the acetylene contained in the gas mixture has been extracted therefrom. B the acet lene from the acetomtrile charged therewith an acetylene gas mixture is obtained which contains 93.5 per cent of acetylene, no hydrogen and 2.1 per cent of all technical urposes. The losses ofv ace tonitrile whic arise during the extracting and drying process are very small, whilst the vapors which may posslbly be carried boiling out along can easily be almost completely removed b means of an absorbing agent or by washmg it out with water and thus be" recovered.

I claim:

1. The process of extracting acetylene from gases poor in acetylene which comprises washing said gases with acetonitrile at a low temperature.

2. The process of extracting acetylene from gases poor in acetylene which comprises washing said gases with acetonitrile at a temperaturebetween -20 C. and 0 C.

3. The process of extracting acetylene from gases poor in acetylene which comprises washing said ases with acetonitrile at a temperature of a out -10 C.

4. The process of extracting acetylene from gases poor in acetylene which comprises washing said gases with acetonitrile at a low temperature and then boiling out the acetylene from the acetonitrile charged therewithfi 5. The process of extracting acetylene from gases poor in acetylene which comprises washing said gases with acetonitrile at a temperature between -20 C. and 0 C. and then boiling out the acetylene from the acetonitrile charged therewith.

6. The process of extracting acetylene from gases poor in acetylene which comprises washing said ases with acetonitrile at a temperature 0 about -10 C. and then boiling out the acetylene from the acetonitrile charged therewith.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 

